Okay, so it�s been longer than I intended; such is the way of life sometimes.

I�ll tackle the Feast. Let�s start with the trip out.

Mom and I left Friday morning (9/20/02) at about 9 or so to take Joey to the vet. He had to stay in the kennel while we were in SunRiver. I will never, ever do that again. He didn�t like it and I felt like a creep cause I had to put him in jail. And I did so just because he was a dog. *pouts*

Regardless, Yvonne and the kids showed up at our house at about 10a and we started the two-car caravan. I�ll spare you the boring details. Suffice it to say, the 330 mile trip took nearly 7 1/2 hours. I think we found every mountain between the ocean and central Oregon.

We got to SunRiver at about 5, got to the condo and settled into our rooms. It was waaaaaaaay too hot. I have never been a fan of hot climates. It wasn�t like Africa hot or anything, but still, we were in the high desert with about 85 degree temps at 6 and 7 pm. *shakes her head* too hot for the heat-stroke-prone redhead. *chuckles*

For the first day of the Feast, Saturday, there was a mix up as to where services were to be held. We went to the Lodge at SunRiver and they had never heard of our group. By accident, I ran into a family friend who had directions to the meeting place.

Turns out we were supposed to be meeting in the �Great Hall�. OF course, NOT the Great Hall which was across the street from our Condo. No, it was the Great Hall at the Thousand Trails camp site nearly five miles away. *chuckles*

We got directions and I pointed Mom (who was driving) to the proper place. We got there and it turns out there were about 200 people there. I was surprised how few people that really is. In the years past, I�ve been used to Feast sites with a population of about 1500 to 3000. 200 is really small in comparison.

However, the fact that it was so small was really a blessing. The people I saw and spoke with were so warm and friendly. It was like going home after being away at school. There was an incredible vibe of love in the air.

The first sermon really made me squirm. One of the reasons I stopped attending the church I grew up in was because it was so... depressed. The sermon on the first day of the Feast was a flashback to 20 years of oppressive sermons about how someday, sometime, if I�m really good and I wait patiently, I might possibly, maybe, someday have access to the Holy Spirit.

That first sermon set an instant of dread into my heart. I was afraid that all of the sermons would be like that. So many people in this world seem to need the fundamentalist view. That�s all great and good for them. If you need to think about how bad you are in order to live a better life, then more power to ya, but I can�t live that way anymore. Did it. Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt and burned it.

Erm... anyway. After services there was a short fellowship/snack period where people could talk a bit, visit a bit and get to know each other. That was cut short, though, due to the fact that they were going to be hosting a major, almost-formal sit-down dinner that night.

So, we went back to the condo, napped (mom and dad), showered (me. Nothin better than a cool shower when it�s 80 degrees outside and there�s no trace of wind) and swam (Yvonne and the three kids). Then, we got ready for dinner and went back to the Thousand Trails camp ground.

Let me tell you, folks, if ever you get the hankering to see what service is, come to one of these dinners. It was fantastic. They were expecting about 100 or so people. They got 180 plus. It was incredible. They had salads with dressing delivered to the tables. I believe they were planning on serving all the people, but there were just too many. The salad was decent, but the best part was the main course.

They had grilled beef tips (about five to seven ounce steaks actually) roasted chicken breasts in a cream, garlic, spice something-or-other sauce (very rich), green beans and broccoli, steamed rice and something else I can�t remember. The food was incredible. Excellent fare.

They had wine too. And not just that heavy, bitter red wine, they had my favorite, white zinfandel. *purrs*

For dessert they served your choice of a wild berry sorbet or vanilla ice cream.

They put so much effort into this. It was incredible, delicious and filled with joyful conversation, classical music and this marvelous atmosphere of love.

And what did this fantastic meal cost? Nada. Zip. Zilch.

And what do you have to pay to attend this Feast site? Nada. You have to make your housing arrangements and such, but there�s no required or even suggested donation. There are no fees for the Feast activities. It was so completely unexpected.

It reminded me a lot of going to Trinidad and Tobago for the Feast way back in... 83 or 84 or something like that. It was awing to see so many people who didn�t know me from the man in the moon, and yet, they treated me as if I were a part of their family. It was incredible.

From there, the Feast just got better. However, I will discuss that on another day. We�ll tackle my singing and more of the Feast on another day.